Sweden warns against travel to fire-ravaged Russia

Sweden advised its citizens against travelling to Moscow and regions in western Russia ravaged by wildfires and sweltering under a heatwave, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Moscow and its neighbouring regions have been recommended off limits until further notice "due to the massive fires in the west and central Russia" and the possible effects of the smog on the health, it said in a statement.

On Saturday Denmark also warned against travelling to the Russian capital unless strictly necessary.

Britain and Italy have issued lighter warnings against travelling to the region with children and for anyone who is pregnant, elderly or has health problems.

"There has been disruption to flights to and from Moscow airports in recent days due to poor visibility... This situation may continue for some time," the British foreign ministry said.

After almost two weeks of fires that have claimed over 50 lives and part destroyed a military storage site, the authorities said they were making progress in fighting fires that still covered 174,035 hectares (430,000 acres) of land.